Mariano "Nonong" V. Araneta, Jr. (born November 9, 1954) is a Filipino sports executive, businessman and retired footballer. Araneta formerly played for the Philippines national football team. He was the president of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) from 2010 to 2023 and is currently a member of the FIFA Council since May 2017.
Early life and education
Araneta was born on November 9, 1954, in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. He played for his town's team in province-wide football tournaments held during the summer and Christmas season during his childhood. For his high school studies, Araneta attended the University of the Philippines Iloilo. For his collegiate studies, he took up Civil Engineering at the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines. He was a varsity player for both the university's basketball and football team.[2]
Basketball career
Araneta played for the UP Fighting Maroons basketball team for three years in the 1970s. He played as a point guard due to his football background. He was offered to play for a farm team of Mariwasa, a team in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), by UP Coach Fely Fajardo so that after his graduation he would be part of the Mariwasa main team. However Araneta was not able to play in the MICAA when it was supplanted by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 1975 as the top-flight basketball league in the Philippines.[3] He decided to focus on finishing his studies in UP over playing competitive basketball.[4]
Araneta won his first National League Championship title as part of the U-Tex football team. He then transferred to CDCP where he won another National League title. He later won six more titles for Philippine Air Force F.C.[2]
He served as head coach of the Philippines at the 1993 Philippine International Football Cup which was hosted at the Paglaum Stadium.[7]
Football administration
Araneta, in behalf of the national football team, meeting with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles for the Peace Month 2012 event.
Following the ouster of Jose Mari Martinez as the President of the Philippine Football Federation on November 27, 2010, Araneta was designated as the interim president of the football body.[8] Almost a year later, Araneta was elected as president on November 26, 2011, at a PFF congress held at the Astoria Plaza in Pasig.[9] He secured a second term in 2015.[10]
In February 2017, it was reported that Araneta was one of the then eight candidates vying for the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) four spots at the FIFA Council. The four successful candidates were to be determined at the AFC Congress in May 2017 in Bahrain.[11] Three posts were in contention for male candidates while a single post for female candidates.[12] On May 8, 2017, Araneta along with Zhang Jian of China and Chung Mong-gyu of South Korea secured their post by acclamation while Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh secured the sole FIFA Council slot in contention for women.[12]
On November 29, 2019, Araneta won a third term as PFF President in the elections held during the 16th PFF Congress. He was challenged by Negros Occidental Football Association President Ricky Yanson for the post. Araneta secured 23 votes from the PFF voting members in contrast to Yanson's 12.[10]
During his presidency, the Philippines men's national team qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the country's first major tournament participation in men's football.[13] The Philippines women's national team, meanwhile, qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in January 2022, the first time the country qualified for a FIFA World Cup of any gender.[14] The women's team also won the 2022 AFF Women's Championship, the Philippines' first major title in senior international football.[15]
Mariano Araneta after a friendly game between the Philippines and Afghanistan. 2023.
On February 2, 2023, the AFC re-elected Araneta to another four-year term as a representative of the confederation in the FIFA Council.[16] Bounded to term-limits, Araneta left his position as PFF President on November 25, 2023.[17] He was succeeded by John Gutierrez, though he retains his role as FIFA council member and ASEAN Football Federation vice president.[18]
^"Fegidero uses old magic on Malaysia". Bacolod: Manila Standard Today. May 13, 1993. Retrieved March 26, 2015. "We lack serious games which can only be attained in overseas tournament", said head coach Mariano Araneta
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